Concentrated himself upon his task with more seriousness, and made a higher thing of it than Bielfeld; though, after all, it was the same task the two had.

Alas, our "Swan of Padua" (so they sometimes called him) only sailed, paddling grandly, no-whither,--as the Swan-Goose of the Elbe did, in a less stately manner! One cannot well bear to read his Books.

There is no light upon Friedrich to tempt us; better light than Bielfeld's there could have been, and much of it: but he prudently, as well as proudly, forbore such topics.

He approaches very near fertility and geniality in his writings, but never reaches it.

Dilettantism become serious and strenuous, in those departments--Well, it was beautiful to young Friedrich and the world at that time, though it is not to us!--Young Algarotti, twenty-seven this year, has been touring about as a celebrity these four years past, on the strength of his fine manners and _Newtonianism for the Dames._ It was under escort of Baltimore, "an English Milord," recommended from Potsdam itself, that Algarotti came to Reinsberg; the Signor had much to do with English people now and after.